The Bechdel test, the author's student Marley explained, is named for the US graphic novelist and cartoonist Alison Bechdel. To pass the test, a work of fiction must contain at least one scene in which two or more women (preferably named characters) discuss something other than a male. Students who read from the canon of works regularly encounter…

In this article, the author shares interview data showcasing teacher expertise and calls for more focused professional development in reading and discussing literature.

The author explores the balance of responsibility for effective formative reading assessment between classroom teachers and the curricular structure within which they work.

While the overall school-age population grew by only 2.6 percent between 1995 and 2005, the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) grew by 56 percent--a number that can only be expected to grow considerably in the near future. Mainstream literacy professionals across the country, typically monolingual European American women, struggle to…

School administrators across the U.S. are asking literature teachers to become reading teachers, and not surprisingly, many secondary teachers are having difficulty with this transition. The author's transition to reading teacher was hurried by her dissatisfaction with lessons that featured question-answer discussions. Curious about how students…

The time spent by teachers in summarizing and reviewing material is reduced when students become more capable readers of challenging texts. Four interacting dimensions of classroom life are described.

Many students hate reading and they see reading as a chore. Opinions and suggestions of many teachers are given for the most effective and successful reading one, which states that book sharing motivates and excites students about reading.

The question, What should a reading program be for?, is best answered with reference to student needs rather than to analytically identified reading skills. (JH)

Discusses the dilemmas faced by middle and high school teachers whose students are struggling to read, yet whose training does not prepare them to solve this problem. Describes the Reading Initiative, a program that will support teacher development through study groups to help teachers improve both the teaching and learning of reading through…